Ford Mustang races to Silverstone Classic 2014

This year, the Silverstone Classic honours the Ford Mustang on its 50th
anniversary

The Ford Mustang, America’s most revered motoring icon, is 50 this year and, somehow, still in production, a point that will be celebrated at this year's Silverstone Classic on July 25-27.

Rarely has a halo name been used so loosely over the years, but endured so formidably; the model is now in its fifth generation.

Of course, America has made hundreds of great cars, including a handful of game-changers such as the Ford Model T, but to the man in the street the most recognisable, the most resonant, is the original “pony car”.

Its myriad film and television appearances, racing heroics and poster-boy looks all helped boost that profile, and the Mustang needed it because, technologically, it was hardly cutting edge even in 1964. The fact that the car bearing the name today still uses a live rear axle almost beggars belief.

What was new about the Mustang was rather more ethereal; it was an idea.

That idea belonged to a man called Lee Iacocca and it was a spark of genius to create a car that reflected and appealed to a rapidly changing society, the watershed shift in values and morality that occurred through the Fifties when the youth and women emerged as booming markets for motor manufacturers. A black-and-white world was turning colour and the affordable Mustang – it originally cost less than $2,500 – caught that wave and rode it.

So what was special about the Mustang?

Having initially toyed with the concept of a mid-engined two-seater roadster, the eventual result of this idea was a compact (by American standards) car powered by a straight-six or V8 engine driving the rear wheels, and with prosaic underpinnings from the Falcon and Fairlane. It was initially available as a convertible or a “notchback” coupé, with the fastback shape immortalised in the Steve McQueen movie Bullitt coming a year later. The European-influenced styling was an instant hit – as was the “personal car” wealth of options – and the Mustang sold its entire first year’s projected units in a few months. By 1966 the pony car was a true American phenomenon and annual production peaked at more than 600,000.

Suddenly this car pervaded every aspect of American life. There were countless variants offering a bewildering array of power options; you couldn’t turn on your new, colour television without seeing one, or go to the race circuit without being deafened by the roar of that V8.

The best gimmick was that you could rent a special-liveried Mustang from Hertz, the “sell” being that you could hire the powerful GT350H for the weekend, race it and return it on Monday.

Despite this, sales fell dramatically after 1966 and Ford reacted swiftly. The Blue Oval marque responded with facelifted versions in the late Sixties and early Seventies, but they were bigger and heavier and did not strike quite the same chord… especially not with the model’s mastermind. So, when Iacocca became president of Ford it was no surprise that one of his first acts was to order an all-new Mustang that was more like the old Mustang, in ethos if not aesthetically.

In its five-year lifespan the Mustang II sold well, as did the third generation, which was for many the worst looking but, interestingly, was also the longest lasting, being in production from the dawn of the Eighties until 1994.

Ford recaptured some of the magic with its replacement, the fourth incarnation being a modern car whose styling was obviously informed by the original, and setting the template for all Mustangs since, which more and more echo the perfectly proportioned Sixties design.

Neither was it just Ford America that harked back to its masterwork: the Ford Capri was a European homage to the fastback Mustang, while there are traces of it in many diverse cars such as the Toyota Celica and the Alfa Romeo Montreal.

Soon there will be a sixth generation. It’s no surprise that in look it will again echo the Sixties icon but, hold on to your hats, the new model will have independent rear suspension. Now that’s progress!

But then the slavish need to progress doesn’t really apply to the Mustang, because it has become way more than just a car. It’s as distinctive as a Coke bottle, as copied as the Mona Lisa and as deeply etched into America’s cultural identity as mom’s apple pie.

If you want to grab a slice of that pie, the Mustang’s year-long birthday party in the US will be enormous but, with such a loyal following in the UK and Europe, it is going to be pretty big here, too.

And the biggest party of them all will be on Saturday July 26 during the three-day Silverstone Classic festival. Selected as the official birthday celebration by the Mustang Owners Club, the venue will be awash with American muscle, including a massive club display.

Given that the event has made a habit of hosting record-breaking parades in recent years – for the Jaguar E-type, Ferrari F40 and Porsche 911 – the Silverstone Classic’s special Mustang parade should be unmissable.

Plus, if the racing roar is what appeals, there will be special “big-banger” races on both the Saturday and Sunday, featuring record numbers of Sixties Mustangs. What a great way to honour America’s most vaunted.

The Silverstone Classic

While Saturday’s Mustang parade will be the focal point of the golden anniversary celebrations at this summer’s Silverstone Classic, it’ll be just the tip of an action-packed iceberg. Festival-goers will also be treated to host of other Mustang-minded attractions. These include:

An evocative “Silver Bullitt” homage starring an iconic dark green Mustang GT Fastback and a black Dodge Charger as seen in the famous car chase from the movie Bullitt.

Tips on buying a classic Mustang from television presenter Mike Brewer. The Wheeler Dealer star is himself a dedicated Mustang owner.

Taking to the air above the famous grand prix circuit will be displays by equally iconic P51 Mustang WW2 fighters.

As well as Canned Heat and Bonnie Tyler, this year’s live music line-up includes Signed, Sealed, Delivered performing, no doubt, the classic Wilson Pickett hit Mustang Sally.

“Mustang Saturday” is part of a three-day Rocking and Racing festival voted the “Motorsport Event of the Year” in 2013 by the International Historic Motoring Awards jury.